Joe Hohmann posted:
Phila-New Orleans- AZ: Involves 2 trains. Layover involves all night in a crappy station, or book hotel room (a must). Drawback: the Crescent has a poor on-time record, arriving in New Orleans often 3-4 hours late. This would cramp "hotel time".
The obvious answer to the overnight problem is to leave on the Crescent one day early (Friday), spend 2 nights (in a hotel) and one day in New Orleans, then board the Sunset Limited Monday morning at 9. The Crescent runs every day, the Sunset on Mon., Wed., Sat..